Where is Your Thrill of Hope Coming From?

The days between Christmas and New Year’s have always seemed to be an exhausting time for me. After a month of what feels like non-stop running from Christmas parties, gift shopping, and above all, a very busy work season, I’m exhausted. On top of that, the Christmas season is officially over, and that sense of magic in the air seems to have just disappeared.

This “lull” between the two holidays even seems to be somewhat depressing. However, as I was singing one of my favorite Christmas hymns this time last year, I was reminded of a steadfast, year-round source of energy and hope – one that surpasses any amount of sleep or comfort that our leftover Christmas cookies could offer.

One of the lines in the classic, “O Holy Night” expresses what the birth of Jesus brought us, “A thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices.”

I can only imagine what it must have been like right after Christ was born. There was an incredible weariness in the world, and many were losing all hope. But then a gift so powerful came and created a “thrill,” which means “a wave or nervous tremor of emotion or sensation” (Oxford Dictionaries) – a hope so powerful that it created an all-body, energizing experience.

This message is so relatable for all of us, especially in these seasons of work and personal demands — we feel weary, and sometimes a little hopeless and anxious about what this next season will bring. But what is truly amazing is that we were given a gift long ago that, when we invite him in, will restore this “thrill of hope” among us.

So as we walk out of an exciting but tiring season into another year of unknown and new possibilities, invite the Lord into your work and your life. Let him, and only him, be your source of hope and rejoicing.